UAE and South Korea sign civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement

Dubai, June 23, 2009 (WAM) - Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, yesterday received at Zabeel Palace the visiting South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and the delegation accompanying him.
Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the Korean official in the presence of Dubai Crown Prince HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and HH Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Han Seung-soo held talks, discussing ways for expanding the horizons of the existing cooperation between UAE and South Korea in various avenues in the light of the serious desire of both countries to find a new concept for the relations among world countries.
The talks touched upon the global economic situations and the repercussions of the financial crisis on projects and development plans in a large number of countries, and both the leaders stressed the need for the world countries to cooperate one another to overcome this phase.
The South Korean PM hailed the wise policies adopted by the leadership and the government of the UAE for encountering the crisis and handling it with objectivity and honesty.
Then the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Prime Minister of South Korea Han Seung-soo witnessed the signing of the UAE-South Korean bilateral agreement, which allows specialised Korean companies to compete for bringing in the technology, equipments and skills to UAE for building its nuclear power plants for producing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash signed the agreement representing UAE while South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong Rak signed on behalf of his country's government.
The signing ceremony was also attended by HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Authority of Culture and Arts, minister of cabinet affairs HE Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Economy HE Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of State HE Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, UAE ambassador to South Korea Abdullah Mohammed Abdul Wahid Al Maainah and South Korean ambassador to UAE Chung Yong-chil.
According to the agreement, the South Korean government will help UAE in developing its peaceful nuclear programme by way of transferring nuclear technology, equipments and expertise from South Korea to UAE for a period of twenty years, the validity period of the agreement.

UAE had signed earlier similar agreements with French and US governments as well as an MoU with the government of UK.